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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29286150">With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We slept.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities/pseuds/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities'>Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Riverdale (TV 2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:26:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,608</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29286150</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities/pseuds/Loveandcoffeeandothersimplicities</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bughead one-shot. Title named after an episode from One Tree Hill.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We slept.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Author's note: One-shot about Black Hood and how I wish the writers hadn't solely fucked up the show. I don't care if Bughead is endgame. You botched the writing Roberto. Own up to it. Comments appreciated as always!</p>
<p>Betty stared at her phone as the familiar ringtone ran through the noisy bar. Lollipop lollipop oh lollipop.</p>
<p>Rubbing a tired hand over her face, she got out of the booth she was sitting in at the Wyrm, glancing casually over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching her before exiting said booth and bar altogether. Swiping a thumb across her screen, she inhaled shakily and brought the phone to her ear, ready to hear whatever the next demand would be for her.</p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p>Shaking, Betty wretched onto the pavement just outside of the bar, taking shuddering inhales as soon as she was finished.</p>
<p>"Blondie?" A voice called, somewhat cautiously. "You okay?"</p>
<p>Straightening up, Betty wiped a hand across her mouth and glanced over her shoulder; her sight landed on Sweet Pea, a taller Serpent she wasn't great friends with but had a mutual respect shared between the two of them after she did the dance. Nodding, she attempted a smile.</p>
<p>"Yeah, think I took one too many shots. I'm gonna head home," she replied.</p>
<p>Sweet Pea trailed his eyes over her face first, then to the phone she had a deathly white grip on.</p>
<p>"Mhm. Need me to get Jug for you?" The taller asked.</p>
<p>"No!" Betty cried, then shook her head. Don't lose your shit now. "I mean, no thank you. Let him enjoy his night. I'll be fine. Tell him I'll call him tomorrow."</p>
<p>Sweet Pea looked like he wanted to say something, so she continued.</p>
<p>"You're a good guy, thank you," she whispered with a smile and a tremor running through her hands. "But I'm fine. Promise."</p>
<p>He hesitantly nodded, snubbing out the cigarette in his fingers – the reason he had been outside in the first place.</p>
<p>"Okay," he replied. She nodded resolutely and dialed for a cab, giving the driver the location. Her ride showed up a bit later. Turning on her heel, she looked at Sweet Pea.</p>
<p>"You take care of Jughead, okay?" Betty asked seriously, watching as the tallers' face crinkled into confusion. He nodded, nonetheless.</p>
<p>"Yeah. See you tomorrow, blondie," he said, rather forcibly. As if telling her not to do what she was about to do. Even if he had no idea what that was. A ghost of a smile crossed her lips.</p>
<p>"See you, Sweet Pea."</p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p>Archie's P.O.V.</p>
<p>Re-reading the text he just received, he sent out a group text to Veronica and Jughead.</p>
<p>Seriously man? What kind of layer of Hell is this? -Jughead.</p>
<p>Get your ass to Pop's. I think Betty might be doing something stupid. -Archie.</p>
<p>What the hell are you talking about, Archie? -Veronica.</p>
<p>Pop's. A.S.A.P. -Archie.</p>
<p>Shutting his phone, Archie took another long gulp of his coffee, thinking to Betty's text.</p>
<p>His best friend since childhood wasn't saying goodbye. She wasn't. She wasn't that stupid. He tapped his foot anxiously against the linoleum floor of the neon diner, watching the door every few minutes. Eventually, he heard the sound of a motorcycle, (or was it a couple?) arrive. The door opened moments later and in walked Jughead and the guy Archie had started to refer to as his righthand. Veronica was hurrying in behind them seconds later.</p>
<p>"What is going on? What do you mean Betty is doing something stupid?" Jughead cut to the chase, sliding into the booth as Ronnie sat down next to Archie and Sweet Pea pulled up a chair and sat at the end of the table.</p>
<p>"How much do you know about what the Black Hood is doing to her?" Archie asked after a moment of willing himself to be brave. If Jughead didn't know anything about that still and found out Archie knew, well, he'd deserve the ass kicking he'd be receiving.</p>
<p>"What?" Jughead demanded at the same time Sweet Pea asked, "is that who Betty was talking to outside of the Wyrm?" Although, the question seemed to be more directed to himself. Archie's head snapped towards him, eyes staring at him intently.</p>
<p>"Explain," he said. Sweet Pea glared at him, apparently not appreciating being told what to do, but went on to explain regardless.</p>
<p>"Blondie came outside of the Wyrm earlier – when I was smoking. She answered her phone and then immediately threw up after she was through with the conversation," he said, somewhat hesitantly.</p>
<p>"You didn't think to tell me this why?" Jughead barked, and Archie watched the two guys uneasily, waiting for some form of fight to escalate. However, Sweet Pea remained calm.</p>
<p>"C'mon, boss. You cut your girl off when she did the dance," he replied, tone somber. "I figured whoever had called her did not need to result in you two being fucking idiots and breaking each other once more."</p>
<p>Jughead watched him for a moment, before nodding and turning back to Archie. "How does any of that have to do with the Black Hood?"</p>
<p>"He's been in contact with her," Archie sighed, rubbing a weary hand over his face. "You, you uh, remember the kiss we shared?" All four of them looked a bit nauseous but Jughead waved his hand for him to continue. "I had just been buried alive. Well, almost. I knew she was being contacted by him from the day after she said the stuff she said to you at that party, Ronnie." He paused to look at his girlfriend, who was pale. He continued on. "It took a toll on us, that night. The Black Hood pointing a gun at her as she dug a grave meant for me. Anyways. We thought it was the janitor. Clearly, it wasn't. And, I think Betty knew that all along and just stopped accepting my help in an attempt to make sure I didn't die."</p>
<p>It was silent for several beats before his phone rang. Looking at it, Archie's fingers fumbled as he put his phone on speaker, conveying to the group to be quiet.</p>
<p>"Betty?" Archie asked cautiously.</p>
<p>"Arch," she whispered.</p>
<p>Jughead's P.O.V.</p>
<p>"Arch," Betty whispered, and Jughead wasn't sure if there had ever been a time when he had heard his girlfriend so terrified. He wanted to speak but his gut told him to stay silent so she could talk.</p>
<p>"Betty, where are you?" Archie asked carefully.</p>
<p>"He asked me to give him another name," she laughed, sounding a bit delirious, and Jughead wondered when she last had a solid night of a sleep. "So, uh, I did. You know, to keep Polly safe."</p>
<p>Polly?</p>
<p>"Betty...," Archie trailed off slowly, shaking his head. "Who's name did you give."</p>
<p>It was silent for a moment, Betty sniffling, before exhaling a shuddering sigh. "I gave him my name. He'll be here soon. Please, Arch. Make Juggie understand. Make him understand I died knowing that was the only thing to make the Black Hood stop."</p>
<p>Inhaling sharply, Archie stood up, Jughead and Sweet Pea following suit immediately.</p>
<p>"Betty, no. No. Listen to me: you're not going out at the hands of a fucking murderer okay?" Archie demanded, throwing money down on the table for whatever the fuck he had had and running out the door.</p>
<p>Just then, there was a bang and a long, drawn-out scream that had everyone stopping.</p>
<p>"He's here," Betty exhaled. "He's here. Tell Jughead I love him, Archie."</p>
<p>Then there was a sound of a door being kicked in and Betty scrambling around, more thumps, a few shouts, then silence.</p>
<p>"Betty? Betty!" Archie hissed.</p>
<p>"She will be the reason your soul will be cleansed," a voice replied, and Jughead's stomach bottomed out. He shook his head, placing his fist over his mouth. The fucking Black Hood had been stalking his girlfriend. And, he didn't know. He had no idea.</p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p>Sweet Pea's P.O.V.</p>
<p>"What do we do, Andrews?" Sweet Pea demanded. He had grown rather fond of the blonde, and he'd be damned if she died for the town. She didn't need to be a hero right now. Although, apparently she had no problem being a martyr. Archie looked lost for a moment before running his hand through his hair as he pulled something up on his phone.</p>
<p>"If there's any good left in the world, fucking dick didn't smash her phone," he muttered, fingers moving across his screen. A moment later, he grinned a grim smile. "I'm able to track her." He paused before looking at Jughead. "I, uh, put a tracker on her phone a couple of months ago."</p>
<p>Jughead nodded. "I'd normally be very pissed about that, but desperate times and all that," he muttered, getting on his bike. "Give me the address."</p>
<p>Rattling it off, Jughead nodded. "It's the house down in the woods."</p>
<p>"Yeah, I've been there," Archie sighed, mind on that awful night.</p>
<p>"When you were, uh, almost buried?" Sweet Pea asked, rubbing his neck awkwardly. Archie nodded. "Yeah, glad you didn't die, I guess."</p>
<p>"Thanks, man."</p>
<p>"Let's go," Veronica said. She hopped into Archie's truck as Sweet Pea straddled his own bike, following out after Jughead.</p>
<p>XXX</p>
<p>Pulling up to the house Jughead had mentioned, Sweet Pea looked up at it. In the dark, it seemed even more imposing than it did during the day. He looked around, automatically searching for a way in, before another long, drawn-out scream interrupted the quiet night. His stomach clenched. He didn't know much about Betty, but he knew she wasn't awful. Had accepted the Serpents without question. She didn't deserve anything bad to happen to her. Not in his book.</p>
<p>Sharing a look with a pained Jughead, he nodded. "I've got your back, boss."</p>
<p>"And, we have you both," Veronica chimed in, eyes narrowed as she stared at the house.</p>
<p>Pulling out his gun, Sweet Pea followed Jughead into the house wordlessly as Archie gripped the bat he carried in his truck.</p>
<p>"Where is Polly?" Betty's voice screamed throughout the house.</p>
<p>"I told you, your sister is fine," came back a snarl.</p>
<p>"I'm gonna need some fucking proof before I accept my fate!" Betty hissed and then there was the sound of skin meeting skin and Sweet Pea winced. Fuck hope that was Blondie throwing that punch.</p>
<p>"Shit," Betty hissed, followed by the sound of her spitting. "You through hitting me?"</p>
<p>Jughead hissed between clenched teeth as they kept moving towards the sound of their voices.</p>
<p>"Betty, give me one final name and I can end this all for you," the man who had come to terrorize the town said, tone oddly gentle. It made Sweet Pea's stomach churn.</p>
<p>"I am not giving you another name. I can't," Betty breathed. "I will not have anyone die on behalf of me. So, I just don't care at this point. Kill me. I don't care how painful you make it, either. I won't be giving up any name."</p>
<p>Jughead had started running faster at this point, Archie and Sweet Pea right behind him.</p>
<p>"Betty!" He yelled.</p>
<p>"Jug-," her voice was cut off with the sound of a slap and Sweet Pea winced once more.</p>
<p>"Shut up," The Black Hood hissed. "Come on in Jughead and friends."</p>
<p>Clenching his gun in his hands, Sweet Pea followed Jughead into the room and they took in the scene.</p>
<p>Betty was tied to a chair, face beaten in and shoulder, upon close inspection, looked to be dislocated. She currently had a gag in her mouth, but her eyes didn't hold fear for herself. She shook her head at Archie, who narrowed his own eyes back at her.</p>
<p>"I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not," he muttered, fingers clenched tightly around the bat as he eyed the Black Hood warily.</p>
<p>"Archie Andrews. I should have had you killed when I had the chance," he sighed.</p>
<p>"Yeah, you didn't do shit. You tried to get my girlfriend to do your dirty work," Jughead hissed, eyes lit with a fire Sweet Pea had never seen.</p>
<p>"What do you want to happen here?" Sweet Pea asked, eyes falling back to Betty as he looked at her bindings. He could work with them if he could just get to her. He didn't want to leave his leader's side, but he knew Jughead would much rather have him help Betty.</p>
<p>"Well," the man said lightly. "I was going to have one soul left to kill and then be done. But, I've got a few more now."</p>
<p>"Get fucked," Jughead hissed, raising his gun. In retaliation, the Black Hood raised his and pointed it at Betty's temple. Jughead sucked in a breath, like Sweet Pea, and the dark-haired man watched as his friend looked at his girlfriend who had a look of weary acceptance in her eyes. She nodded as if to say it's okay and Jughead shook his head. "No, Betty Cooper. This is not how you will die."</p>
<p>Veronica appeared just then, and Sweet Pea wondered why he hadn't realized she wasn't in the room with them. Then, he spotted the knife in her hand and how she crept up behind the killer who stalked their town and every other thought vanished. He nodded discreetly towards her when she made eye contact with him. Watching as she inhaled and squared her shoulders, Veronica Lodge of all fucking people, shoved the knife into his shoulder blade and twisted it with a vindictive, "fucker!"</p>
<p>Sweet Pea raised his gun and shot off a well-placed bullet into his leg just as Jughead ran towards Betty, ripping out the gag.</p>
<p>"What were you thinking baby?" He whispered, pressing his forehead against hers'. "You know you almost died?"</p>
<p>Betty chuckled wetly, shifting around and Sweet Pea realized just then how much pain she had to be in. He took his own knife, making sure to kick the killer in the leg on his way to her, and crouched behind her, gently cutting through her bindings.</p>
<p>Jughead pulled her to her feet, holding her steady as she stared down at the man on the ground. It was quiet for a moment.</p>
<p>"I need to see," she whispered. "I nee to see if I'm right."</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" Veronica asked quietly, but Betty shook her head as she approached the man who was groaning on the floor. She bent down slowly, her good arm cupping her ribs as she did so, before lifting it up to pull his hood off. She sighed, shaking her head.</p>
<p>"As Jughead said: get fucked, dad." She muttered, and Sweet Pea gasped.</p>
<p>"Hal Cooper?" Archie asked as Jughead caught Betty, who had stumbled back a few steps.</p>
<p>"You're alright baby," he murmured, turning her head into his chest.</p>
<p>"I'm just a kid," she whispered. He nodded, kissing her forehead.</p>
<p>"I know, I know," he said softly. "Call an ambulance." This was directed to someone other than his girlfriend and Veronica said she already had.</p>
<p>Sweet Pea was left to stare at the man who called himself Betty's father, mind whirring from the events. She was right: they were all just kids. Life was funny that way. Or cruel. Either way:</p>
<p>"Betty, I'm glad you're alright," he said softly, looking at her in a new respect. She nodded, acknowledging him without words and he understood. They were going to have a friendship out of this.</p>
<p>They'd be alright.</p>
<p>Jughead would make sure Betty was alright and Sweet Pea would make sure everyone else was alright.</p>
<p>It would be alright.</p>
<p>Author's note: Yeah. No idea. Enjoy! XXX</p>
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